


A Man Walks Into A Bar

by BDEblueyes



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:48:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28074966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BDEblueyes/pseuds/BDEblueyes
Summary: Kaiba finds himself in a dive bar on the wrong side of town after Mokuba threatens him with Consequences(TM) over his lack of work-life balance.
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Comments: 37
Kudos: 62





	1. Don't Threaten Me With A Good Time

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what to tag this, so suggestions are welcome. This might maybe be a slow burn? I don't know, I haven't finished writing it, but I'm a chapter in and Joey hasn't even shown up yet. There's an original character but she's not a threat to our ship. I also don't know how long this story is going to be, or what the upload schedule is going to be like. I've agonised over this one chapter for like 3 weeks...

He strode into Grendel’s Cave as if he owned the place. He didn’t, but Seto Kaiba had more than enough money to buy it if the mood took him and that, as far as he was concerned, was the same thing.

He lingered just inside the door for a moment, waiting to see if anyone would recognise him. But without his usual attire there was no reason why they should. Instead of the outlandish trench coat ensemble the public expected, he wore a black t-shirt and dark jeans. His chestnut-brown hair was slicked back, gelled away from his face, and dark glasses shielded his eyes even though the sun had long since set. No one but his brother had seen him this dressed down in years.

He took a seat at the bar, pushing his shades up into his hair, and noting that at least the bar was clean, for all its grungy aesthetic. There were, he supposed, worse places to pass an evening.

“What can I get you, handsome?” the bartender asked. She was lean and lithe, in jeans and a plaid shirt over a t-shirt that might have been for a band or for the bar or some other piece of pop culture that he didn't understand. She had her blonde hair swept up in a bandana. 

“Whisky, neat. Top shelf,” he replied. After all, just because he was in a dive bar didn’t mean he had to sacrifice _all_ his standards. If he was drinking, he was drinking the good stuff.

She poured the drink and placed it in front of him. “A man of taste and refinement.”

He said nothing, but pushed a wad of cash towards her.

“You’re not local, are you?” she asked as she looked at the money.

“What makes you say that?”

She snorted. It wasn’t the kind of derisive snort he was used to hearing from rivals though, more of a laugh that had somehow gotten a little lost. It was kind of charming. “You’ve just given me enough to buy the whole bottle. A couple of times over, actually. So either you’re new to the area, or you’re new to money.” She put his change on the counter.

“I’m definitely not new to money,” he said with a wry chuckle. “No, I’m from Domino. But the last time I was in this part of the city, I wasn’t old enough to be in a bar.”

“Ah,” she said. “Slumming it, are we?”

“Something like that,” he replied, pushing the rest of the money back to her side of the bar. “Why don’t you hang on to this? Keep my glass full for as long as I’m here, and whatever’s left of it when I leave is yours.”

She leaned across the bar to get a better look at him, taking stock of his features. He saw the moment of recognition dawn on her face and spark in her blue-grey eyes. She knew who he was. 

He loosed a sigh, thinking what a shame that was. She had been fairly attractive up to that point, with her pretty blond hair and warm smile. 

“Relax,” she said with a wink. “Your secret is safe with me. Wanna tell me what you’re doing in this part of town?” 

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Why would I? I don’t even know your name.”

“That’s a fair point. Name’s Kelli.” She stuck a hand out to him.

Cautiously, he took her hand, giving it a firm one-two pump and releasing it. “You may call me Tatsuya.”

“Alright, Tatsuya-san,” she said, smirking a little at the fake name. “Wanna tell me what you’re doing in this part of town?”

“My little brother threatened to have me medically boarded if I didn’t take a break from work and have some ‘fun’.”

===  
===  
===

“I still have a company to run,” he had said, just barely keeping the strain out of his voice. 

“And the company will stand for one weekend without you, Seto,” his brother had replied coolly. 

With Mokuba now based in Busan semi-permanently, the brothers spoke multiple times a day for work. Especially since the younger Kaiba had gone on paternity leave. But this particular call had been their Friday night video chat - reserved strictly for catching up on personal life stuff. It was usually fairly Moki-centric given that he had a wife and child now, and Seto did very little outside of work these days.

“What exactly do you want me to do?”

Mokuba had rolled his eyes in exasperation at his older brother, something he’d done frequently in his teen years and rarely done since. “Honestly, bro, I don’t care  _ what _ you do so long as it’s not work-related. Go play some golf or take an art class.”

_Golf? Really? He wasn’t Pegasus, for crying out loud. And art class? Like a bored housewife? No, thank you!_ He had narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips into a tight line at the very idea. 

“You’ve got a major stick up your ass and you need to get rid of it… or replace it.”

“I beg your pardon?” His voice, always edged with ice, had become a frozen tundra.

Mokuba swept a hand through his hair. “Want me to spell it out for you, Seto? I’m telling you to go get laid. It’s been fucking years since you had any action.”

He’d chided his brother for the crassness of the suggestion. But even as the words left his mouth, he couldn’t help but wonder how long it had actually been.

There’d been the woman at Pegasus’ party. When had that been? Certainly before Noelle was born. Before Mokuba got married? That was almost two years ago. And it hadn’t even been that good.

None of it had ever been as good as-

_ disheveled hair and corded muscle, slick with sweat. Whimpers and delicious, delirious moans, and engine-revving, ravenous growls- _

“Hey, you still with me, bro?” 

He had been jolted from his thoughts. “Yes, I’m still here, Moki.”

The younger man had looked unconvinced.

Seto had sighed. “Alright, you win. I will take the weekend off.”

“Good. And I’d better not hear that you came home early, or that you worked at all. I have my spies, you know.”

“Yes, I know. It’s completely ridiculous that Roland reports back to you when  _ I’m _ the one who pays him,” he had grumbled.

The raven-haired man had smirked then, and in that moment, with his shorter, more business-like haircut, he could have been Seto’s twin. “He reports back to me because he cares about you, just as much as I do. Now go have fun, or there’ll be hell to pay when I see you again.”

Seto had rolled his eyes and made a snarky comment, calling his younger brother ‘mom’. Which apparently set the baby off, as she started crying in the background. He’d sent his love to Rebecca and Noelle, and ended the call so that Mokuba could do family things.

It hadn’t been long after that that his phone had buzzed with a text from the younger Kaiba, suggesting a number of bars for him to visit. All in the warehouse district, the ‘wrong’ side of town, and he didn’t want to think about how his brother knew about them.

===  
===  
===

“So you’re here to pick up chicks?” 

“Potentially. Or guys. I’m not picky.” He tilted his head, considering that for a second. “Well, no, I  _ am _ picky. Just not about the genitalia.”

“So,” Kelli said, grabbing the rag that hung from her belt loop and wiping down the bar next to him where another patron had spilled their drink as they left.

“So,” he replied. He swirled the glass in his hand, watching the honey-coloured liquid wash up the sides and back down, leaving spiderweb trails that clung momentarily and then faded away. 

Most people assumed that, if the CEO had a favourite colour at all, it was black. Or blue, like the eyes of the dragon that had once been his signature card and that was still synonymous with him. If anyone had bothered to ask, he’d have told them they were wrong. 

No, his favourite colour, the one that made his heart thrum and stutter when he saw it, was amber. Like the whisky he drank. Like the autumn leaves in the park. Like the leather bound books that lined his shelves. Like-

_ those eyes, so warm, so intense, sparking an inferno in his soul. Those exquisite eyes, glazed over and half-closed in ecstasy- _

“I don’t mean to pry and you can really tell me to fuck all the way off, but you don’t seem like the kind of guy who comes to bars for a good time. And definitely not a bar like this.” 

While he had been focused on his drink, she’d stopped cleaning the bar and was now tinkering with something underneath it. 

“You’re right, I’m not. Truth be told, I don’t know how to do…  _ this _ .” He gestured to the bar with a vague hand wave, despite her being out of visual range to appreciate it.

“Well, how do you usually do it?” she asked, still futzing under the bar.

He ran a hand through his hair, shuddering a little at the sensation of the gel that made him look and feel like someone else. “I don’t.”

“Oh?”

“I haven’t…” He paused, trying to think of the words. “ _...actively pursued _ a partner in a very, very long time.”

Kelli popped up from under the bar then, wiping her hands on a towel before stashing it back under the counter. “What are we talking here? Like, a year? Two?” Her eyes met his and she gasped. "More?"

“Fifteen,” he mumbled, feeling his cheeks start to colour in a way that hadn’t happened since high school. 

“Damn. Okay."

He turned the glass in his hand, his eyes set, but not focused on, the liquid within. Why was he doing this? Sitting in a bar, looking and feeling like he was wearing a costume. Sitting in a bar, baring his soul to a complete stranger. Why was he sitting in a bar at all? He had alcohol at home. He didn't need to be here-

“So you haven’t…” She moved her hands in a complicated but somehow also vague way that was clearly intended to convey the act without being completely obscene. “...in fifteen years?”

He drained the glass, then, as a way of masking his discomfort. “I didn’t say that. I’ve had some encounters. But  _ they _ came to me...”

“I can see that,” she said, giving him a look that could only be described as ‘appraising’. “Handsome, wealthy, powerful. You probably can’t move for being hit on uptown. I guess that makes sense why you’re in this part of town.”

Seto didn’t know what to say. He didn’t usually have any problem bragging and boasting on himself, but tonight it didn’t feel right. And the longer he sat in silence, the more uncomfortable he became. With being here, the idea of picking someone up, all of it. He nodded to the empty glass, more for something to do than out of any real desire to drink more.

She poured him another whisky and then glanced towards a door at the back of the room. “Oop, band’s here. I need to-” She disappeared from behind the bar without finishing the sentence, leaving him to consider whether it wouldn’t be better to just leave and face the wrath of Mokuba in the morning...


	2. Thnks fr the Mmrs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the band begins to play, Kaiba finds himself lost in the memory of one perfectly imperfect spring afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't meant to be a songfic, and the chapters aren't really inspired by or built around the songs I'm using as titles, I'm just picking song titles that fit the chapters... Did that make sense? I don't feel like it did.

He toyed with the glass, hearing but not really processing the band setting up on the other side of the room. He was aware of the sounds in the same way that he was aware of the clothing against his skin. It was there, but he wouldn’t really notice it unless it became uncomfortable.

The bar’s piped music faded, and there was a clash of instruments that lasted a few moments before it, too, faded.

“Hey folks,” came a voice from the stage. “We’re Scapegoat.” 

Whether or not it was meant as a Duel Monsters reference, it still made him laugh a little. But it also, just the tiniest amount, made his chest tighten. 

The band began to play. The music was not Kaiba’s personal taste. A little too gritty. A little too dirty. A little too raw. But the vocalist had a pleasant, warm voice that struck a chord in him. It was so familiar. Even the screams and growls.  _ Especially  _ the-

_ growling in his ear, all hot breath and frenzied, feral lust. Every hair standing on end, every cell vibrating, electrified. Short nails clawing at his back in desperation- _

“You okay?” Kelli asked across the bar.

He shook himself out of the thought. “Fine. This just isn’t really my type of music.”

She quirked a brow at him but had the good grace to say nothing, merely leaning back against the inner corner of the bar and angling herself to watch the band while still keeping an eye on her patrons.

He kept his focus on his glass, avoiding eye contact with the bartender. She was far too perceptive. The longer he listened to the music, the more that feeling of familiarity wound itself around his heart. The more his chest ached, the memories, the longing overwhelming him. His skin felt several sizes too small, tight and prickly, and he could feel his sweat evaporating as soon as it was produced. He was surprised it didn’t sizzle as it went.

Kaiba drank. It wasn’t Joey on that stage. It couldn’t  _ be _ Joey, because Joey had left. Fucked him and then fucked off. Joey wasn’t even in the country, nevermind singing in a grunge band in a dive bar in Domino City.

And besides, there had been no trace of an accent in the singer’s introduction. He wasn’t Joey.

Part of him wanted to turn and look at the singer, to stare down this nobody who had the absolute, unmitigated gall to sound so much like him. Part of him wanted to drain his glass and leave. 

And part of him wanted to take the singer to bed and unleash fifteen years of frustration on him. To do to him every single thing he’d imagined doing to Joey in that time. To make him whimper and moan and scream beneath him. To exact his revenge by bringing the man to the most dizzying heights of pleasure and then leaving him-

“You’re never going to get laid with a scowl like that,” the bartender said as the music died down and the singer announced that they were going on break.

His lip twitched, and he lifted the glass to his mouth to hide it.

“What’s got you so riled up?”

“The ghost of exes past,” he said simply. 

The line rolled off his tongue before he could think, before he could stop it. It was witty, but it wasn’t true. Joey wasn’t his ex. They’d never been in a relationship, never defined terms. There had just been the years of sexual tension, thinly veiled as animosity. The duels. The fights. The insults. That one searing, blistering night after graduation. And then... nothing.

===   
===   
===

It had been a mild day in the early spring, with a gentle breeze that whispered through the sakura. They’d done it. Despite the insanity that had plagued them over the years. The shadow games, mind control, and ancient magics. Somehow, they had done it. High school was over.

Kaiba had known he should have gone straight to the office as soon as the ceremony had ended. He knew he had things to do, responsibilities to handle. But he’d found himself unable to do so. Unwilling to accept that high school  _ was _ over. Not because of the teachers or the lessons. He’d been way past needing either and had only continued to attend because it was mandatory if he wanted to keep control of his company. But...

He’d toyed with the idea of slipping a letter into Joey’s locker.  _ Meet me under the sakura after graduation. _ He’d gone back and forth on it for hours. Days. Weeks. He’d even drawn up a fucking pro-con list. In the end, he’d decided it was too risky. What if the blond had already cleared out his locker when he delivered the letter and it lay unread, to be discovered by some stranger at an unknown future date? Or worse, what if he read it, decided it was a prank, and didn’t show up? No, far better to just approach him in person.

And so he’d found himself lingering just inside the school gates, knowing that once he left the school grounds, the moment would have passed forever. He had waited, surprisingly patiently, for the blond to say his goodbyes. It had taken an age for the Nerd Herd to finally reach the edge of campus as they made their emotional final exchanges with their classmates.

Yugi had practically skipped up to him, spewing some inane friendship babble and wishing him a prosperous future. As if he needed those wishes. Still, he’d returned the sentiment to all of the gang. Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t actually hate any of them, nor did he wish them ill. Despite his own best efforts, they’d become something approaching friends.

His eyes had met Joey’s and the words he’d spent all day rehearsing crumbled and blew away with the cherry blossoms. The blond had been almost out of the gates by the time Kaiba’s senses had come back to him. 

“Wheeler,” he’d said, his voice cracking in a way it hadn’t done since well before he’d taken over Kaiba Corp. Heat had bloomed in his cheeks and he’d willed it not to show.

Joey had turned to look at him, then, and something had passed between them. Some spark of bonhomie not previously shared. “You guys go on ahead, I’ll catch up wit’ ya,” he’d said to his companions, waving them off before walking back up to Kaiba. “What’s up?”

He’d tried to remember the things he’d planned to say, tried to pin down the words to fit his wriggling, squirming emotions. All the while, he’d thought how unfair it was that he could execute hostile takeovers and run a multibillion dollar corporation without the slightest hint of nerve, but a single look from his classmate robbed him of all cognitive ability.

“Hey, earth to Kaiba.” The blond had snapped his fingers in front of his face, an action that would, under normal circumstances, have resulted in said fingers being removed from his body and ground up to feed the fish in the tank in KC’s foyer. But that hadn’t happened, and Joey’d gotten fed up, turning to leave. “D’ya call me over just to fuck with me? Well, fuck you, moneybags. Have a nice life.”

For the second time that afternoon, he had almost let the other teen get away from him. And all because he couldn’t just say what he felt. Couldn’t express himself.  _ Goddamn Gozaburo. _

“Joey, wait,” he’d whispered, grabbing the blond’s wrist to prevent him from leaving.

Amber eyes had widened at that, their owner rendered speechless.

“Please,” he’d said. 

“Kaib’, yer freakin’ me out here. Ya dyin’ or somethin’?”

He had pulled the blond away from the gates then, into the shade of the sakura, and marvelled at the dappling of light across his skin. The contrast of pale pink and white against tan and amber and honeyed blonde. He’d never considered himself a romantic, but unless all the manga Mokuba consumed had lied to him, this was how this sort of thing was meant to happen. And he’d wanted to do this right.

===   
===   
===

“Can I get a ginger ale, please, Kel’?” the singer asked, breaking Kaiba out of his thoughts. He slid onto the seat beside him, heat radiating off him like an inferno.

The brunet ran a hand across the back of his neck, tugging a little at the neckline of his t-shirt and turning his head ever so slightly away from the other man. Was it the plague of memories causing him to overheat like this, squeezing the air from his lungs as if he were in a vacuum? Or something else? 

“Sure, Jinzo,” the bartender replied before turning to Kaiba. “Anything more for you, Tatsuya-san?”

He shook his head, smirking a little at the guy’s name. Jinzo? Really? The band was definitely going for a Duel Monsters theme. The fact that both the band’s name and the singer’s were cards from Joey’s deck increased the pressure in his chest. It had to be a coincidence. But Kaiba didn’t _believe_ in coincidences. 

This, he had to admit to himself, had been a fool’s errand, and it was time for him to return to his world. He would face Mokuba in the morning. He would spin a story that his brother would believe, and he would forget that Grendel’s Cave, Scapegoat, Jinzo, and Joey ever existed. 

“No, thank you, Kelli. I think I’ve had enough for tonight.”

“Kaiba?” A shocked voice exploded from the vocalist’s mouth.


	3. You Probably Couldn't See For The Lights But You Were Staring Straight At Me

It was 9.45pm when Scapegoat arrived at Grendel’s Cave for their regular Friday night gig. As they piled out of the van, Joey gritted his teeth. They should have been here fifteen minutes ago. 

They  _ would _ have been here fifteen minutes ago, if Suijin hadn’t been so preoccupied with her appearance. He sighed, heavily. He was getting tired of playing dad to his bandmates. He wasn’t even that much older than them.

“Dude, I swear that’s Seto Kaiba,” Gaia said as they walked in through the staff entrance.

The blond had left his glasses in the van, forcing him to squint at the figure at the other end of the bar. The man definitely had Kaiba’s stature and presence, but Joey couldn’t think that his former rival and one-time lover would be in a place like this. 

“No, I don’t think so,” he said. “He’d never come to this part of town.”

“Whatever you say, man,” his bandmate replied. 

“He’s not dressed like Kaiba,” Suijin said. “Where’s his coat? And Jinzo would know if it was him. After all, they were classmates.”

Kelli hurried over to them then with a tray of shots, effectively ending the conversation. “You’re late.”

“Sorry, Kel’. It won’t happen again,” Joey said, glancing at Suijin who, at least, had the decency to look ashamed of herself.

“No worries, Jinzo.”

“Say, Kelli, isn’t that Seto Kaiba at the end of the bar, there?” Gaia asked.

The bartender shook her head. “Nah. He does kinda look like him, but he’s not. His name’s Tatsuya.” 

Tatsuya, huh? Joey thought that sounded suspiciously like the sort of codename Kaiba might give himself. Any excuse for a dragon.

“Alright, you all need to get on stage, so… bottom’s up.” She handed a shot glass to each member of the band, saving Joey’s for last. 

While Suijin, Gaia, and Leghul were sucking down whatever their particular alcohol of choice was, his shot was pure, unadulterated H2O. He took the shot with the band because that was their thing, their bonding ritual before each performance, but he didn’t drink. He never had and he never would, and it was easier to just pretend to be drinking with them than to get into the reasons why. Kelli understood that.

The ritual over, they made their way to the platform that acted as a stage. It didn’t take long for them to get situated. Joey shot Kelli a thumbs up, she turned the music down, and he stepped up to the mic.

“Hey folks. We’re Scapegoat.” He watched the Kaibalike stiffen at the sound of his voice, but he didn’t turn around, and that didn’t mean anything.

And then they started to play. Joey sang, screamed, and growled his way through the set, his eyes focused on the man at the end of the bar. He didn’t know if it was Kaiba, and he didn’t know if he wanted it to be or not. 

It had been fifteen years. Fifteen years since Kaiba had made that bullshit speech under the sakura at Domino High. Fifteen years since Joey’d given the brunet his heart and his body. Fifteen years and he was still waking up in the middle of the night with the memory of Kaiba’s fingers on him.  _ In _ him. 

His chest tightened at that thought.

More importantly, it had been fifteen years since the rich bastard had said a word to him. Fifteen years without so much as a text message. It wasn’t as if Kaiba couldn’t get a hold of him if he wanted to. The man practically had his own version of Skynet at his fingertips. But no, the CEO hadn’t bothered.

And it wasn’t like Joey hadn’t tried to get in touch himself. Kaiba’s number wasn’t listed. He’d tried going to see him at the office when he’d gotten back from New York, but security turned him away every time. He wasn’t on the approved visitors list, and he couldn’t get an appointment because he had no reason to be making one.

He’d even tried asking Yugi, who had told him it would be an invasion of Kaiba’s privacy to give Joey his number without permission. Yugi had offered to pass a message along for him, but he hadn’t been able to think of a suitable message.

Fuelled by the hurt and the rage, and the desperate need to prove that he was just fine without Kaiba and his ridiculous leather pants, Joey gave the best performance of his life. 

He willed the man at the end of the bar to turn around and look at him. But the man stayed resolutely focused on his own glass, and Joey’s stomach continued its attempts at parkour.

By the end of the set, he was dripping sweat, and the mystery man had still not even so much as acknowledged the band’s existence. Well, fuck it. He was just going to have to settle this himself. 

“Thanks for listening, folks. We’re Scapegoat, and we’re going on break,” he said, stepping off the stage and walking towards the bar.

There was an empty seat near the stage, but he bypassed it, going for the one next to the Kaibalike. 

“Can I get a ginger ale, please, Kel’?” he asked, easing himself into the empty seat.

He was trying to sneak a surreptitious glance at the other man, but he had turned away just enough that Joey couldn’t get a good look at him. He seemed nervous, though, and that sealed it for him. It wasn’t Kaiba, because Kaiba didn’t get nervous. Except…

Joey shook himself. There was no point in dwelling on the memory of their graduation. Of Kaiba’s confession. They had tried. They had failed. That was all.

“Sure, Jinzo,” the bartender replied before turning to the other man. “Anything more for you, Tatsuya-san?”

The brunet shook his head. “No, thank you, Kelli. I think I’ve had enough for tonight.”

Despite the heat he knew was radiating off him, a chill ran through Joey, and he shivered. The world was full of men who looked kinda like that but no one else had that voice. 

“Kaiba?” The shocked question tumbled from his mouth before he could stop it, and the other man, finally, turned to look at him.


	4. The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get

Kaiba turned and opened his mouth to berate the other man, but the words stuck in his throat. It was too much. 

He sounded like Joey. Even without the accent, the warmth and tone of his voice was Joey’s. 

He looked like Joey. Even with the shorter, less wild cut, his hair was the same soft blonde as Joey’s. 

He even fucking  _ smelled _ like Joey. Like saltwater, and sage, and something indescribable. A scent that had refused to leave his memory, and one he’d never been able to find anywhere else. And he had tried... 

But he knew in the depths of his soul that this man was not Joey. He knew this with the same certainty with which he knew that magic did not exist. 

It didn’t matter what his senses were telling him. It didn’t matter what his  _ heart _ was telling him. His  _ brain _ knew that Joey was on the other side of the world.

“Oh,  _ good _ ,” he said, with an uncharacteristic giggle. “This must be that nervous breakdown Mokuba was talking about.” 

Joey stared at him, then cast a glance at Kelli. “How much has he had to drink?”

She shrugged. “I’ve served him three whiskeys.”

“I’m not drunk,” the brunet said, still laughing. His shoulders shook. Sweat dripped down his neck and tears down his cheeks.

“You must be, because the Kaiba  _ I _ know doesn't laugh.”

He actually snorted at that. “Mutt, the Kaiba  _ you  _ know hasn’t existed for a long time.”

Joey frowned at the epithet before turning to give the bartender a nasty look. 

“I swear I don’t know what’s wrong with him, Jinzo. He was acting perfectly fine until you came over.” She put her hands up, the universal declaration of innocence. “He really was. A little bitter, maybe, but  _ fine _ .”

Joey quirked a brow.

“He was talking about his ex,” she whispered.

“Fuck,” the blond said, under his breath.

“Anytime you want, mutt,” the other quipped.

“Cool it with the ‘mutt’ thing, Kaiba, or I’ll be forced to deck ya,” he said, the old familiar accent peeking through.

The taller man’s eyes widened then. Suddenly it was real to him. “Oh my god. I’m not going crazy. It actually  _ is _ you…”

“Of course it’s me, you lunatic. Who else would it be?”

Kaiba opened and closed his mouth a few times, for once unable to compose one of his lightning quick retorts. He’d imagined reuniting with the blond a hundred thousand times over the years, created an entire universe in his mind to store the infinite scenarios. Amazingly, running into him in a dive bar had not made the list. His brain was, for lack of a better word, short-circuiting.

“Uh, Jinzo…” Kelli said, pulling his attention away from the frenzied lapis eyes he’d been focused on. “Not that I don’t love having you here, but I think your friend might need some fresh air.”

“I think you’re probably right. Can you tell the guys they’re gonna have to go instrumental for the next set while I try and get this… whatever this is… under control?”

She nodded and quickly disappeared to deliver the message.

Joey stood, pulling Kaiba to his feet. “Come on, moneybags. Let’s get out of here.”

“Your place or mine?” the brunet asked.

“Not happening,” he growled. “Not with you like this. Now, are you good to walk by yourself, or do I have to carry you?”

Kaiba bristled and whatever mania or hysteria had gripped him earlier snapped. “I told you, I’m not drunk. I can walk.”

The blond let go, watching the other take a few steps towards the door. If he  _ was _ drunk, it didn’t seem to be affecting his co-ordination at all.

“Are you just going to stare at my ass all night, or are you actually coming with me?”

“I wasn’t…” Joey felt the heat bloom in his cheeks, realizing that he actually had been. 

“Whatever,” Kaiba said, pushing through the door and into the chilly air of Domino City. He ducked into the alley next to the bar, shielding himself from the wind, and the blond followed. “Why was Kelli calling you Jinzo?”

“It’s a stage name. Anonymity allows me to have a life and maintain a career outside of the band. Why was she calling you Tatsuya?”

“Same reason,” the taller man said.

They stood in silence for a moment, breathing in the cold and allowing themselves to cool off. Joey pulled out a packet of cigarettes, offering one to Kaiba, who declined. “Suit yourself,” he said, lighting up and taking a long drag. Partly to steady himself. Partly to give himself something to focus on. “What are you doing here, Kaiba?”

“Mokuba insisted. He thinks I work too much.”

Joey nodded. “You always did,” he said, puffing on his cigarette.

The CEO grunted, but said nothing, silence settling over them again.

“What are  _ you _ doing here? I thought you were in New York,” Kaiba said eventually, in a voice so quiet it was almost swallowed up by the mist rolling in from the harbour.

“Not in the last fourteen years,” the other replied.

“What?”

The blond shrugged, stubbing out the cigarette and flexing his fingers to resist the urge to go for another. “I went. I hated it. I came back here as soon as I could.”

“You came back?” he asked, incredulous. “You came back, and you didn’t say anything… Did I really mean nothing to you, Joey?” His voice trembled and he turned away, but not before Joey saw the tears clinging to his lashes.


	5. #1 Crush

_ He was afraid that the blond’s patience was wearing thin. Afraid that he would lose the moment, his chance, and the other boy forever if he didn’t just  _ say it _. “I know it’s too much to hope for that you would feel the same,” he blurted out. “But I love you.”  _

_ And Joey had laughed. And then seen the seriousness that lined the other’s face. The glint of steel in his eyes. “Oh, man… you’re serious, aren’t ya?” _

_ “Have you ever known me to crack a joke, Wheeler?” _

_ “I guess not,” the blond conceded. “Fuck. Your timing’s pretty shitty, ya know that?” _

_ Kaiba frowned. “What do you mean?” _

_ The breeze picked up, carrying a few blossoms with it. Dappled light played across the boys’ faces. _

_ “I’ve kinda had a crush on you for years.” _

_ The taller teen stared at him. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?” _

_ “I just figured, what with how ya call me mutt and deadbeat and loser all the time… An’ I’m not stupid, ya know? I know I’m no catch. Wrong-side-of-the-tracks former gang trash with no future… I guess I figured I didn’t stand a chance with you,” he said quietly, focusing his gaze somewhere off to the side of Kaiba’s head. He couldn’t bring himself to look at the other’s eyes. They sparkled at him like something out of a shoujo anime.  _

_ Kaiba winced. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said any of those things.” _

_ “No, you shouldn’t. But you did.” _

_ “I was jealous of how carefree you always seemed, and more than a little afraid of the things I felt looking at you.” _

_ Joey held up a finger, pressing it gently to the other’s lips, effectively shushing him. “An’ now you’re here sayin’ ya love me right outta the blue… an’ I’m leaving for New York day after tomorrow. That’s some shitty fuckin’ timing.” _

_ “How long will you be gone?” Kaiba asked.  _

_ He shrugged. “Dunno. I don’t even know what the job is. Somethin’ with one of my mom’s uncles. I don’t even really wanna go, but it’s the first time my folks have agreed on anythin’ since before the divorce… Fuck. We’re gonna be so far apart.” _

_ The brunet laughed. It was a pure, genuine sound, and one few people ever heard. “You’re worried about the distance? Wheeler, I’m a pilot. I have my own jet, and more money than I know what to do with. I can fly out to visit you at a moment’s notice. And I can get you back home, to Domino, whenever you want.” _

_ “That… is a lot,” Joey said, feeling giddy. “Like a  _ lot _. Can we just back up a bit?” _

_ “Yes, of course. Whatever you need,” the other said. He started to walk away, trying hard not to show his hurt and disappointment. _

_ “Where are you going?”  _

_ He tilted his head. “I’m backing up.” _

_ “Geez, Kaiba,” the blond said. “For a genius, ya sure can be fuckin’ dumb.” _

_ The taller teen’s face crinkled, brows furrowed, eyes narrowing. “I don’t-” _

_ “I didn’t say ya should leave, did I? Just that maybe we don’t need to be planning out our entire lives based on a single five-minute conversation?” _

_ “You’re right.” Kaiba chuckled. “Got a bit ahead of myself there, didn’t I?” _

_ Joey smiled, and the warmth of it took the remaining chill right out of the air. “Just a little. How ‘bout we go for coffee first, and just see where things go?” _

_ “Don’t you need to meet up with the Nerd Herd?” _

_ “Eh, I’ll tell ‘em somethin’ came up,” he said, reaching out and taking the other teen’s hand in his. _

_ “Don’t ya need to run a company or somethin’?” _

_ A trademark smirk danced across his lips. “I’ll tell them something came up.” _

_ \--- _

_ They had coffee at a tiny coffee shop where they were sure not to be bothered. They talked and laughed. Kaiba got them a piece of cake, ostensibly to share, but really just so he could watch Joey enjoy it. _

_ “So, I know you don’t want to do whatever it is your mom’s got lined up for you in New York,” he said as the other practically orgasmed over the rich, velvety, triple chocolate layer cake. “But what  _ do  _ you want to do?” _

_ The blond shrugged. “Never really thought about it, ya know? I work a lot. Maybe not as much as you, but someone’s gotta keep the lights on. Doesn't really leave much time for wants.” _

_ “No college?” _

_ “Come on, rich boy,” he said with a laugh. “Ya know my grades didn’t cut it. There’s not a college in this country that’d take a deadbeat like me.” _

_ “Don’t,” Kaiba said quietly, intertwining his slender fingers in Joey’s. “Please.” _

_ Joey looked away. “I ain’t smart enough for that stuff.” _

_ “I know you’re smarter than you give yourself credit for. But I won’t push you,” he replied. “Isn’t there anything you enjoy?” _

_ “Duelling.” The response was out of Joey’s mouth before Kaiba had even finished the question. _

_ “Well, obviously. I meant other than that.” _

_ The blond shrugged. “I like music. I’m a pretty okay guitarist. Sometimes I sing. It makes me happy. But I can’t pay bills with it, so it’s not important.” _

_ “Will you sing for me sometime, Wheeler?” _

_ He laughed. “Sure. Not today, but sometime. But if you’re going to hold my hand, don’t you think you should at least call me Joey?” _

_ “Only if you call me Seto.” _

_ \--- _

_ They found themselves at the manor, holed up in the den. They were supposedly watching Dune. Truthfully, they were watching each other.  _

_ The action hadn’t even moved off Caladan yet before their hands began to roam. Lips sought lips in hungry, frenzied kisses. They only broke for air when their lungs ached and burned like their lips did. _

_ “You’re missing the film,” the brunet said breathlessly. _

_ “I’ve seen it,” the other growled, pulling him back in. _

_ \--- _

_ And then they were in Seto’s bedroom, clothing strewn across the room, limbs tangled together in 1,000 count Egyptian cotton sheets. Sweat-slicked and ravenous, they explored each other. Like treasure hunters, seeking to conquer and claim each other for their own. Pale gold and milky white moved together, sapphire locked with amber. Over and over again, they brought each other to the highest peaks of pleasure until neither had anything left to give, and they fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms. _

_ \--- _

_ It was dark when Joey woke up, and he was filled with panic and dread. He was supposed to be at home, packing. His mom would be there soon. If she wasn’t already. Fuck. _

_ “Seto,” he said, urgently. _

_ No response. _

_ He shook his lover’s shoulder. “Seto, wake up.” _

_ The brunet groaned but didn’t wake. _

_ “Fuck.” _

_ He scrambled from the bed, gathering his clothes and pulling them on in a panic. He’d just have to leave him a note. He scrounged through the drawers next to the bed and found a scrap of paper and a pen. _

Seto,

I’m sorry to run out on you but I have to get home. I don’t know if I’ll see you again before   
I leave but my email address is  [ xXRed.EyesXx@kcmail.com ](mailto:xXRed.EyesXx@kcmail.com) . Write to me and I’ll write   
back as soon as I can.

I want to give us a chance.

Joey

_ He placed the note on the table next to the bed, and darted out of the door, hoping against all hope that he wasn’t going to get a beating for this. _


	6. Somebody to Shove

The brunet started walking away, determined not to hear the answer or look back. He was Seto Kaiba. He didn’t cry. He did  _ not _ cry in front of people. And he certainly didn’t cry in back alleys behind shitholes like Grendel’s Cave.

“Kaiba, wait,” Joey called. He walked after him, but his shorter legs meant shorter strides, and he couldn’t keep up. “Goddamnit, Seto, would you fucking wait?!”

The taller man stopped, but didn’t turn around. “You called me by my given name.”

“I did…” he said. “But so did you. Please, just listen. I did  _ try _ to get in touch when I got back.”

Kaiba gave a snort of disbelief.

“I  _ did _ . I couldn’t get past your security. I tried every day for a week, and then they put me on some kind of list. Said if I came back again, they’d tase me.”

“Bullshit.”

Joey groaned in frustration. “You know what? Just… Whatever, man. At least I tried. I still fucking tried, even after you ghosted me.”

“ _ I _ ghosted  _ you _ ?” The brunet turned around, his eyes now dry and glinting like steel. “You walked out on me in the middle of the night. Do you have  _ any _ idea how much that hurt? Waking up to an empty bed and the knowledge that you had ‘hit it and quit it’?”

“Okay, firstly,  _ please _ don’t ever say ‘hit it and quit it’ again. It doesn't sound right coming from you. Secondly, I didn’t. I don’t do that kind of thing, and I’m more than a little hurt that you think I would.” 

“Then  _ what _ ? I was just supposed to  _ know _ what you wanted? Magically know how to find you on the other side of the world? How many Wheelers do you think there are in New York?”

“Enough.” Joey stormed up to the other, jabbing a finger into his ridiculous muscled chest. “I gave you my email address and you never wrote me. So don’t try and make this my fault.”

Kaiba grabbed his wrist, holding it tightly. “If you had given me your email address, I would have written you immediately.”

“I don’t know what else to tell you. I wrote a note before I left. Put it right there on your bedside table.”

===

_ Ringing. Incessant, ungodly ringing. _

_ Kaiba groaned into the pillow. Not even half-awake, he stuck a hand out and felt around on the nightstand. He felt paper under his fingertips but didn’t really register it. He had to stop the ringing before it woke Joey. _

_ Eyes still closed, his hand found the offending clock. He grasped it firmly, shutting it off, before pulling his hand back over the wooden surface of the bedside table.  _

_ He rolled over to place an arm around… nothing. The bed next to him was cold. _

_ Trying to ignore the ache in his chest, he checked the bathroom. It was empty. _

_ Joey was gone. _

===

“Oh for fuck...” Kaiba groaned, letting go of Joey’s arm and burying his face in his hands.

“What?”

“I think I have a vague memory of paper when I went to turn my alarm off. But there definitely wasn’t anything there when I got up,” he said. “I… I must have knocked it off the table.”

For a moment there was nothing but the mist, and the streetlight, and the far off strains of music from the bar, and then Joey started to laugh. It started as a giggle but soon it was a deep, hearty belly-laugh. Tears streamed from his eyes.

“I’m sorry-” he began, between guffaws. “You’re telling me… You’re saying that I… that  _ we’ve _ both been fucking miserable... for fourteen fucking years... because you’re not a morning person?!”

“It would seem so,” Kaiba replied, in shock and embarrassment. And then he, too, began to laugh.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Friday I'm In Love

Eventually, their laughter subsided and the chill of the night air started to get to them both. Neither of them had dressed for it, on the assumption that they’d be inside all night, in the stuffy heat of the bar.

“Are you gonna be okay?” Joey asked.

The brunet nodded. “I told you I wasn’t drunk, and I’m not. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. Well, we’re supposed to play one more set tonight, so I should probably…” He inclined his head in the direction of the bar. When the other didn’t respond, he started walking back to the bar.

“Joey, wait.”

The blond turned around, looking up into steel-blue eyes, sparkling just like they had all those years ago under the sakura. 

“I… I want to talk. More. About us.” His voice was soft now. Soft and warm, like cashmere.

“I do, too. But not tonight. I have responsibilities, I can’t just…”

“I get it. I would also like to be more sober for it,” Kaiba said. 

“I thought you weren’t drunk,” the blond said, chuckling.

He smiled. A genuine smile, not one of his trademark smirks. “I’m not but I’d prefer to be even less so.”

Joey nodded. “I know, I’m just messing with you. But I really do have to get back to the band now.”

“Let me buy you a drink at least? For everything I’ve put you through.” 

“You know what? Sure,” he said with a smile that could light up all of Domino City. “You can pay for my ginger ale.”

And so they went back to Grendel’s Cave, and Kelli served them both ginger ale, which Kaiba paid for. Joey put his number and his email address into Kaiba’s phone, and the brunet immediately sent him a text and an email. He wasn’t taking any chances of history repeating itself.

The blond joined his bandmates for their final set of the night, and Kaiba stayed to hear it, even though it wasn’t his type of music. He watched the whole performance, his eyes trained on Joey, his heart swelling with every sound that came out of the other’s mouth.

And after the performance, he bought a round of drinks for the whole band, and Joey joined him for another ginger ale.

“When can I see you again?” the brunet asked as soon as he was able to separate Joey from his band.

“Honestly? I  _ want _ to say right now.” He chewed on his lip, eyes tracing the contours of the other’s face. “But I have to get home and get some sleep or I’ll be useless tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, then?” 

Joey couldn’t help but smirk at Kaiba’s eagerness. “Tomorrow. I have classes until 1 and I usually do admin until 3 or so.”

“I’ll pick you up at 3,” the brunet said. The excitement he felt practically levitated him off his seat. “Just text me the address.”

“I shouldn’t think you’d need it,” he said with a laugh.

Kaiba tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.

“I’ll be waiting under the sakura at Domino High.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, folks. Friday night at Grendel's Cave is over. Will I write a follow-up where they make up for the fifteen years they missed? Probably at some point. Will it explain what happened to Joey's accent and why he hated New York so much? Possibly. Who knows what tomorrow will bring...


End file.
